NATCHEZ &045; Natchez is forecast to get 40 to 45 mile per hour winds and about 4 inches of rain today from Katrina, with the worst from 1 to 3 p.m.

Although no curfews or mandatory evacuations are now in effect or planned, local officials recommend people stay off the roads and in secure buildings until the worst of the storm’s Miss-Lou effects are through.

Two Public Works Division employees were at that office overnight Sunday to field calls, although no storm-related damage had been reported as of 7:30 a.m. today, when city officials and department heads met to make their storm plans for the day.

Starting this morning, crews’ main priorities included cleaning storm drains and clearing debris affecting lives and traffic. Outside the city limits, county crews were on standby as of Monday morning.

As of noon today, the Miss-Lou was starting to feel the storm’s effects &045; the equivalent of one of the area’s severe spring storms &045; with some limbs and power lines down.

A live power line was down on Lincoln Street, a downed tree blocked part of Liberty Road and debris blocked some of Lower Woodville Road, among other reports to law enforcement agencies.

But Natchez still had a flood to deal with &045; the flood of evacuees.

As of 7:30 a.m. today, the Red Cross’ main shelter at Natchez High’s Steckler Building was full, with 345 people; Parkway was full with 319 people, but was trying to free up space for a few more people; Washington Baptist Church had 125 people; and Community Chapel Church of God had 86 people, with just a few spaces left.

The steady flow of evacuee traffic up U.S. 61 from the New Orleans area had nearly stopped by 2 a.m. today, Police Chief Mike Mullins said. And the flow of evacuees to shelters had nearly stopped by 3 a.m. today, according to Red Cross Director John Goodrich.

Goodrich said Ascension Catholic Church in Morgantown could be opened as a shelter if enough volunteers are found. At least 30 volunteers are needed, however, to man a Red Cross shelter, &uot;so more warm bodies are needed,&uot; Goodrich said.

Those wishing to volunteer can call the Red Cross at (601) 442-3656. Volunteers can be trained in three hours, Goodrich said.

Natchez’s Red Cross chapter is prepared to have shelters open for about two weeks because, although evacuees houses’ may still be livable following the storm, it was not known early today when authorities might let those people return to their homes.

New Hope Baptist Church was opened Monday morning as a non-Red Cross shelter and had 60 people as of 10:30 a.m. today, according to the Civil Defense Office.

In addition, people Red Cross shelters no longer had the space for were directed to the the Natchez Convention Center this morning.

As of 9:30 a.m. today, less than 20 people had arrived at the convention center, which was opened today as a shelter for local people, although the vast majority of those at the center were from the New Orleans area.

People coming to the convention center for shelter are asked to bring their own bedding and other supplies if possible.

Rozena Salvant, another New Orleans resident, was directed by locals to the convention center, where she arrived at 5 a.m., two hours before center opened, with eight other family members and friends. Other relatives, she said, headed to such places as Shreveport and Houston &045; but with the interstates filling up, she headed toward Natchez.

“And as soon as they say ‘You can go home now,’ I’m going home,” Salvant said, to the laughter of other relatives bedding down on a raised platform in the main exhibit hall.

Sarah Warhafting, a 20-year resident of New Orleans living in the Lake Ponchartrain, never evacuated from that city before but was spooked this time by reports of Katrina’s intensity. Arriving at about 8 p.m. Sunday, she decided to spend Sunday night in the Wal-Mart parking lot.

“It’s a great place to stay,” Warhafting said between gazes at the Weather Channel on a small television around which several people were huddling. “It’s open 24 hours, and they’ve got a program for RV’ers, so you’re safe there.”

In fact, many RV’s could still be seen in the Wal-Mart parking lot as of late Monday morning.

A meeting of local officials, storm responders and the like was held at 10 a.m. today at the Civil Defense Office to participate in a statewide conference call with the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency to get the latest on the storm’s effects. Another conference call meeting will be held at 4 p.m. today.

City officials will also meet again at 4:30 p.m. today at City Hall to further access their response to the storm’s aftermath.

In

other storm-related news:

The American Queen steamboat docked at 5 a.m. today and will stay at Natchez, with passengers being asked to stay on the boat until the storm clears.

All campuses of Copiah-Lincoln Community College have cancelled both morning and evening classes for today.

Approximately 8,500 people are in 79 shelters in Mississippi. American Red Cross officials said all shelters in the Jackson, Meridian and Vicksburg areas are at capacity. The Jackson Coliseum is also at capacity with 1,196 people. Additional shelters statewide are still on standby if needed, according to MEMA. Officials urge all Mississippians that hazardous conditions will exist in areas of the state after Katrina passes. Evacuees and residents are urged not to return to their homes until officials say it is safe to return to damaged areas.

The toll-free number for Cellular South customers to call regarding the status of wireless service and network capabilities, store hours and the like is (888) 790-7211 or, from a Cellular South phone, *STORM.

The G.V. (Sonny) Montgomery VA Medical Center announced it is canceling all patient appointments at the hospital in Jackson after noon today due to the storm. Earlier today, the medical center closed its community-based outpatient clinics in Hattiesburg, Natchez, and Meadville. In addition, the medical center is canceling all appointments at the medical center and those clinics scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday. Veterans with scheduled appointments should watch public service announcement listings for more details about VA operations. Veterans with questions about scheduled appointments can call (601) 368-4492 or 1-800-949-1009 extension 4492.

The Mississippi Highway Patrol’s Driver’s Services Bureaus will be closed today in the southern half of Mississippi, from Jackson southward. These offices will reopen beginning Tuesday as conditions allow.

The University of Southern Mississippi will be closed today and possibly Tuesday.